diff --git a/tricircle/api/controllers/routing.py b/tricircle/api/controllers/routing.py
index 4e72adca..bfe07b5e 100644
--- a/tricircle/api/controllers/routing.py
+++ b/tricircle/api/controllers/routing.py
@@ -197,6 +197,22 @@ class RoutingController(rest.RestController):
                 return utils.format_api_error(
                     400, _('There is no such resource type'))
 
+        # the pod with new pod_id should exist in pod table
+        if 'pod_id' in update_dict:
+            new_pod_id = update_dict.get('pod_id')
+            try:
+                # find the pod through the pod_id and verify whether it exists
+                db_api.get_pod(context, new_pod_id)
+            except t_exc.ResourceNotFound:
+                return utils.format_api_error(
+                    400, _("The pod %(new_pod_id)s doesn't"
+                           " exist") % {'new_pod_id': new_pod_id})
+            except Exception as e:
+                LOG.exception(_LE('Failed to update resource routing: '
+                                  '%(exception)s '), {'exception': e})
+                return utils.format_api_error(
+                    500, _('Failed to update resource routing'))
+
         try:
             routing_updated = db_api.update_resource_routing(
                 context, _id, update_dict)
diff --git a/tricircle/tests/unit/api/controllers/test_routing.py b/tricircle/tests/unit/api/controllers/test_routing.py
index a559ca22..dfb4d998 100644
--- a/tricircle/tests/unit/api/controllers/test_routing.py
+++ b/tricircle/tests/unit/api/controllers/test_routing.py
@@ -391,5 +391,14 @@ class RoutingControllerTest(unittest.TestCase):
         res = self.controller.put(-123, **body_update1)
         self._validate_error_code(res, 404)
 
+        # failure case, the pod where the new pod_id lays on
+        # should exist in pod table
+
+        # a variable used for later test
+        new_pod_id = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
+        body_update6 = {'routing': {'pod_id': new_pod_id}}
+        res = self.controller.put(id, **body_update6)
+        self._validate_error_code(res, 400)
+
     def tearDown(self):
         core.ModelBase.metadata.drop_all(core.get_engine())